When drought forces tough decisions or expanding herds find themselves without pasture availability, drylotting beef cows may be an option to consider.

While cost is the primary factor, there are several reasons to choose buying hay or growing it.

With poor profitability projections on most row-crop budgets, planting summer annual forages and using forage mixes for grazing should be considered on marginal acres.

Turning cows out on immature forages can have long-reaching consequences, including permanent damage to grass stands, high risk of grass tetany and a need for supplementation to fill nutritional gaps.

The constant talk of the cattle markets and market volatility has put a lot of anxiety into decision making. I have found myself trying to be a steady voice in consultations with producers, reminding them that a little better is still better.

With winter weather and lower temperatures setting in, it is time to talk about when cows feel the cold. The big factors that determine the lower critical temperature for cattle are temperature, wind speed and heaviness of winter hair coat.